When Donald Trump handed him a presidential pardon in the final days of the Trump administration, Steve Bannon probably thought he was in the clear legally and could stop worrying about being sent to prison.
But Bannon was very wrong.
The Washington Post reports that federal prosecutors are refusing to erase his indictment for fraud:
“The U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan, which is preparing for trial against three of Bannon’s co-defendants in an alleged border wall fundraising scam, is seeking an ‘administrative’ termination of Bannon’s case, which would halt the prosecution against him for good but would not clear his name from the docket. The case would officially remain pending while the others, who were not pardoned by Trump before he left office in January, await trial.”
That’s not the only legal jeopardy Bannon finds himself in, as Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. is also considering whether or not he’ll seek an indictment against the former White House aide for his scheme to embezzle money from his failed “Build the Wall” scheme which turned out to be nothing but a con job:
“Following Bannon’s pardon, which covers only federal charges, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office began its own investigation of the alleged scam, raising the possibility that Bannon could face state fraud charges. If his case remains open in federal court, it is not expected to affect the ability of state prosecutors to file charges.”
Could Bannon be facing charges in both federal and state court? He most certainly could, and since he and his attorneys are likely to litigate the federal case against him in light of his pardon from Trump, the chances increase that if he’s found guilty, Bannon could be serving his time at Attica or Sing Sing, two of the most infamous prisons in the country.
Bannon probably thought being connected to and working for Donald Trump would bring him fame and fortune. Instead, it has resulted in him facing the prospect of spending a large portion of what remains of his life incarcerated.